Gangnam Korean restaurant for vongole kalguksu: Moa Gangnam

I couldn’t forget the vongole kalguksu I had on my last visit, so I came back to Moa Gangnam!

Moa Gangnam location and hours

This time, I came out of Exit 11 at Gangnam Station and arrived in just a five-minute walk! I think it’s more convenient to come from Gangnam Station than Sinnonhyeon Station, so keep that in mind. If you’re driving, use Yeoksam Cultural Park No. 2 Public Parking Lot, a two-minute walk away.

What are the wait and interior like?

At the entrance, there was a Catchtable waitlist and a menu board with simple photos and descriptions of the food, which made choosing easier. I reserved and visited at 2:30 p.m. Since 2:30 p.m. is the last-order time, I recommend arriving a little early. I got there about 15 minutes early.

Even though I visited just after lunchtime, there were so many people that I couldn’t photograph the whole restaurant. There is outdoor seating, which looked lovely for days with weather like this. The sunshine stays nice into the afternoon, so it seems like a great place for an atmospheric meal outside.

The neat white-and-wood interior and open kitchen give it a clean feel.

The fusion Korean dishes I ordered

Here’s what I ordered!

I don’t think I’ve seen many places selling plum ade when eating out, but it went so well with the fusion Korean food. The not-too-sweet plum and carbonation made the meal even more delicious, haha.

• Vongole kalguksu (hand-cut noodle soup), ₩14,800
• Korean beef tartare aged-kimchi wraps, ₩15,800
• Doenjang (fermented soybean paste) bulgogi arancini, ₩15,800
• Plum ade, ₩5,900

Korean beef tartare aged-kimchi wraps

First, the Korean beef tartare aged-kimchi wraps arrived. Rice is neatly rolled in aged kimchi, and you add as much tartare as you like before eating. The tartare was seasoned with soy sauce and garlic, so it paired beautifully with the aged kimchi. The accompanying sauce had the flavor of ssamjang (Korean dipping paste), but in a more dining-style presentation. It seems like a great side dish, so I recommend it!

How do you eat the doenjang bulgogi arancini?

The doenjang bulgogi arancini arrived. Arancini is a traditional dish from Sicily, Italy, meaning a fried rice ball—a risotto ball.

This was my first time trying arancini, and I thought it was very nicely reinterpreted in a Korean style with bulgogi and barley rice.

Split the arancini in half, dip the accompanying fritter in the doenjang, then place the doenjang on top—it’s really delicious. The texture of barley rice inside the crisp coating came together beautifully. There was plenty of doenjang sauce, so I added more with every bite. It wasn’t salty, so it was delicious even when I ate a lot of it.

The vongole kalguksu that brought me back

Finally, Moa’s signature dish—and the one I enjoyed most—was the vongole kalguksu. This refreshing, light soup has deep savory flavor and is seasoned with clams, basil, and butter; the broth is rich, and eating it with basil lets its aroma come through clearly. The kalguksu noodles soak up the broth well, so you can taste that flavor in every strand. The clams were large, fresh, and plentiful, so I generously added one to every bite.

Moa Gangnam overall review

There are many other fusion Korean dishes besides the ones I had, and they all looked delicious, so it took me a while to choose. Next time, I’d like to try a noodle dish or rice with flatfish in it, haha.

Judging purely by flavor, every dish I’ve had so far was delicious enough to make me want to return.

The interior is clean and pretty too, so for a date in Gangnam, a wedding-invitation gathering, or any occasion when you want a polished meal, I recommend Moa Gangnam!